Ceiling hangers and tools for forming same



Aug- 24, 1965 L. l.. LUBERACKI 3,202,186

CEILING HANGERS AND TOOLS FOR FORMING SAME Filed NOV. 6, 1961 f8 PIE. l

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Arroz/Mfrs L. L. LUBERACKI CEILING HANGERS AND TOOLS FOR FORMING SAME Filed NOV. 6, 1961 Aug. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIZ.

INVENTOR. lows mannen #fromm-sys United States Patent 3,202,186 CEILING HANGERS AND TLS FR FURMENG SAME Louis L. Luberaclri, 4932 Bryant Ave., Minneapolis 12, Minn. Filed Nov. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 150,441 3 Claims. (Cl. 14d-m9) The present invention has relation to a ceiling hanger and more particularly to a hanger that can be retained in a structure and formed with a special tool to provide means for supporting apparatus therefrom.

At the present time in the construction of buildings the most common method of providing wires for hanging duct Work and false ceilings below concrete or other cementatious material floors of multi-story buildings is to embed long wires in the concrete and utilize the wires for supporting the structure beneath. The wires are inserted through Wooden forms used for the concrete by first drilling a hole in the wooden form and then putting the wire through the hole and leaving an end portion of the wire portruding into the area to be filled with concrete. The wire is retained when the concrete is set and the form, when it is removed, must be moved downwardly along the length of the wires.

It is common practice to utilize an eight to ten foot length of wire and the amount of time spent drilling holes in the forms, inserting the wires through the holes and re- Y moving the forms becomes substantial when a large number of wires are used. In addition, after the forms have been removed the long wires are in the way of workmen and are usually coiled up and bent out of the way. When the ceiling contractors use the wires they have to take time to uncoil the wires and straighten them out. The same is true with mechanical contractors installing material or other equipment, The initial cost of embedding this type of hanger is much less than present methods.

A ceiling hanger made according to the present invention, as shown, is provided with an elongated shank with a sharpened end portion. At the other end of the shank a rst head is positioned and a second stop head is positioned intermediately between the point and the first head. The hanger is driven through the form lumber for the concrete until the hanger is stopped from going further through the form by the stop provided thereon. When all the hangers are pounded into place the concrete is poured into the form. A portion of the shank as Well as the first head extends into the concrete and is held in the concrete when the concrete sets. The form then can be easily removed by prying it down along the shank portion of the hanger protruding through the form, which is relatively short; There is no need to drill holes through the form as the shank can be merely driven through with a hammer.

After the form has been removed from the hardened concrete, the portion of the hanger shank extending outwardly from the concrete is formed into a coil with a special` construction tool or can be formed into a closed locked loop if a heavy load is to be supported.

When ceiling contractors or other construction workers need to hang materials or other apparatus from the ceiling they merely have to form one of the ceiling hangers into a coil and pass a supporting wire through the eye of the coil. The wire can then be easily retained in the eye to support the apparatus. Only the number of hangers which are needed for each particular job are used and the ones not used are of minute cost to the contractor compared to hangers now used.

A tool for coiling or forming the loops in the ceiling hangers includes a driving member with an elongated 3,202,186 Patented Aug. 24, 1965 shank having a cam-type driving head fixedly attached thereto. The cam-type driver head has a receptacle to hold one of the ceiling hangers. A guide member is placed over the driver shank and the ceiling hanger t0 retain the driver shank in the proper relationship to the hanger. The driver member is then rotated about its axis and the cam driver head grips the ceiling hanger and forms it into a coil as the member is twisted. The eye of the coil is formed around the shank of the driver member and thus is perfectly formed every time. When the hanger has been completely formed into a coil, the guide member and driver member can be removed from the hanger and a new hanger formed. b

It is an object of the present invention to present a loW- cost, labor-saving ceiling hanger and tool for forming the same.

In the drawings,

FIG. l is a fragmentary side elevational View of a ceiling hanger made according to the present invention showing it installed in a form for a concrete oor;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a concrete floor having ceiling hangers made according to the present invention installed therein and shown with a tool in position to form one of said hangers into a coil;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational View of ceiling hangers made according to the present invention showing a tool in position for forming one of said hangers into a closed loop;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view ofthe device of FIG.'3 after a loop on a ceiling hanger has been closed;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of a cam actuator tool for forming ceiling hangers into a coil;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view and an end elevational view of a guide member used in connection with the device of FIG. 5; and p FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device of FIG. 7. i

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, a ceiling hanger'l includes an elongated hanger shank 16 having a pointed end 17 at a first end thereof and a rst head 18 at a second end thereof. An intermediate stop or detent head 19 is positioned along shank 16 in between the pointed end 17 and rst head 18. The size of head 18 as well as the distance between heads 18 and 19 depends on the amount :of load t-o be carried by the ceiling hanger and the material in which it is embedded. The length of the hanger shank 16 extending from detent head 19 to point 17 also may be varied depending on the number of coils to be made in the ceiling hanger.

The shank 16 is driven through a wooden concrete form member Ztl with a hammer, much like a conventional nail. Concrete or other cementatious construction material is poured into the form 2G to make a concrete floor 21 as used in a multi-story building, the lower surface of which is `open to the room space below it. b 1

When the concrete has set, the form 20 is removed by prying it `down along the shank 16 of the hangers and thus can be easily taken away from the hanger. A plurality of hangers are installed to provide enough hangers to hold all necessary equipment. The Shanks 16 of the nails may be provided with small ribs extending along the length thereof to reduce friction load when they are pounded into the forms and removed therefrom. i

When the concrete has set and the ceiling .hanger is to be used, the hanger shank 16 extending beyond the concrete 21 is formed into a coil 22. To form the coil, a special tool is used, which will be explained in detail agendas 3 later. A supporting wire 23 can be looped through the eye 24 of the coil and twisted aro-und itself to support any apparatus below the ceiling.

In FIG. 3 a second form of a loop that can be made with a ceiling hanger is shown. This also is formed with the forming tool of the invention, which will be more fully described later. In this form of the inventoin, the hanger shank 16 of the -ceiling hanger is looped in one closed loop 31 with a lower end portion 23 of the hanger shank 16 extending at substantially right angles to the shank. The lower end portion 28 is then bent around the shank back yagainst itself, as at 29, to hold the loop 31 closed. A wire 39 may be passed through the loop 31 formed with the hanger shank 16 of the ceiling hanger and used to support duct work or other apparatus below the concrete ceiling 21.

A tool utilized for forming the coils in the shanks 16 of the ceiling hangers is illustrated generally at 32. The tool includes a driver member 33 and a guide member 34.V The driver member includes an elongated tool shank 36 which has a tapered end portion 37. The tool shank 36 has a cam-type driver head 3S ixedly attached thereto. A U-shaped receptacle 41 is defined in the cam-type driver head 38. The open end of the U faces toward the tapered end of the tool shank 36. The Uashaped receptacle is bounded by an outer wall surface 4d, which is spaced from tool shank 36 and an inner wall surface 39 that is tangent .to tool shank 36 and parallel with outer wall 40. inner wall 39 extends from tool shank 36 in one direction only and intersects the edge surface of the driver head 38. Inner wall 39 is not as long as the outer wall 46. The outer wall 40 is a chordal dividing wall and forms a lug 48 adjacent one side of the driver head. Lug 48 has a at surface 42 facing toward the tapered end 37 of the tool shank 36. A helical surface 43 extends from the low part of receptacle 41, on the opposite side lof tool shank 36 from inner wall 39, and extends 4around said shank 36 and terminates along an outer edge of inner wall 39. The face offhelical surface 43 terminates on a plane coincidental with the plane defined by surface 42 of lug 48. The helical surface extends from the tool shank 36 outwardly to the outer edge of the driver head 33.

The guide member 34 for the forming tool consists of a substantially flat handle member 44. A first end portion 45 of the handle member 44 has a notch 46 deiined therein and a corner portion 47 of the first end portion 45 is folded over to form a semi-cylindrical guide Si). The guide t) is substantially the same size as the receptacle 41 in the driving head of driving member 33. A pilot or guide hole 51 is provided adjacent the first end portion 45 of the handle member 44 and is of configuration to perr mit the shank 36 of the driver member 33 to be rotatably mounted therein. A stop block 52 is xedly attached to handle portion 44 and serves to properly position the handle portion when a shank 16 of one of the ceiling hangers 1S is to be coiled.

The tool shank 36 has a driving head member 53. The head member 53 is driven With a ratchet lever 54 which permits the operator to rapidly coil the shank 16 of the ceiling hanger. Operation When a ceiling hanger made according to the present invention is to be used, a hanger is driven through the concrete form and positioned so Vthe second or detent head 19 is against the form. Concrete is then poured into the form and allowed to harden. When the form is removed, the hanger will remain embedded in the concrete.

To twist the hanger shank 16 into a coil in order to form an eye 24 to support wires, such as 23, for supporting apparatus below the ceiling, a guide member 34 of the tool 32 is positioned as shown in FIG. 2. The hanger shank 16 is positioned in guide 50 and is placed with the point 17 abutting against the stop block 52 of the guide. The shank 36 of the driver member 33 is placed through hole 51 and the receptacle 41 is aligned with guide Sti and 1x positioned around the hanger shank 16. The driver member is placed with the `surface 42; of the lug 43 against the handle member 44. rIhe driver member 33 is then rotated in direction as indicated by arrow 55 and the hanger shank 16 is gripped by the receptacle 41 and will be wound into a coil, such as 22. As the driver member 34 is rotated, the helical surface 43 rides against portions of the hanger shank The inclined or helical surface 43 bears on the coil and moves the driver head .outwardly as the coil is formed. This insures a perfectly formed, tight coil.

The eye of the coil 22 will be of the same diameter as tool shank 36 and when the coil has been completely formed the shank and the guide member can be removed. After the coil 22. has been formed, the end 17 of the shank 16 will slip out of the receptacle 41 of the driver member. The operator will then know that the coil has been completely formed.

When a closed loop is to be formed, such as that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the driver is used as previously described until the end portion 2.8 of the hanger shank 16 is extending at substantially right angles to the base portion of the hanger shank. The tool shank 36 is left in the loop formed and the guide member 34 is removed from the tool shank 3d. The guide member is then placed so notch 46 is positioned over the hanger shank 1o and the guide E@ is looped around the lower end portion ZS of the hanger. This position is illustrated in FlG. 3.

Guide member 34 is then rotated to position as shown in FiG. 4 and the end portion 28 of the shank 16 of the hanger member will be doubled back against itself around the shank 16 and the loop is securely locked. The guide member and the driver can then be removed from the ceiling hanger.

Through the use of ceiling hangers as shown in the present invention, the amount of labor expended in assemblying forms and also in hanging apparatus below the ceiling is greatly reduced. The forms are easily removed from the straight Shanks of the hanger and the hanger shanks may be quickly formed into coils having an eye in which supporting wires for hanging duct work or suspended ceilings or any other apparatus can easily be placed and retained.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for twisting a free end of an elongated hanger shank, said hanger shank having a second end thereof restrained from movement, said tool comprising a guide member having a guide channel adjacent one edgey thereof adapted to receive said elongated hanger shank, said guide member being provided with a cylindrical guide hole therethrough at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of said guide channel, a stop block iixedly attached to said guide member in position to engage said hanger shank when said hanger shank is in said guide channel and to position said cylnidrical guide hole a predetermined distance from the free* end of said elongated hanger shank; and a driver member comprising an elongated tool shank adapted to be rotatably mounted in said guide hole of said guide member and having a driver head iixedly attached to said elongated tool shank, said driver head having a U-shaped receptacle, said receptacle being partially defined by a tiat outer chordal wall surface spaced from said tool shank and extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said elongated tool shank and by an inner wall surface tangent to said tool shank and extending parallel to said outer chordal wall, said inner wall terminating along the tangent line between it and said tool shank, said driver head having a helical cam surface extending from a low point of said receptacle of said driver head and aligned with said inner wall surface of said receptacle concentric with said elongated tool shank and terminating along an outer edge of said inner wall of said U-shaped receptacle, said receptacle of said driver member being alignable with said guide channel of said guide member and'adapted to receive said elongated hanger shank with said driver head contiguous to said guide member, said driver head being rotatable to form said elongated hanger shank into a coil around said tool shank.

2. The combination as specied in claim 1 wherein said guide member has a slot delined therein and open to an outer end edge thereof, said slot extending substantially parallel to said receptacle of said guide member.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said chordal outer wall of said receptacle forms a lug adjacent one side of said driver head and wherein said lug has a flat end surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said tool shank and facing the tapered end of said tool shank and wherein said helical surface termisaid lug.

Kilmer 140-104 XR La Morte 50--509 XR Schorr et al. 50-467 Wright 50--467 Orth 50466 XR Stein 81-15 Corne 140-124 Kirkwood 14C-124 McNish 81-15 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

nates along a plane dened by said flat end surface of 15 JACOB L. NACKENOFF, WILLIAM F. PURDY,

MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, Examiners. 

1. A TOOL FOR TWISTING A FREE END OF AN ELONGATED HANGER SHANK, SAID HANGER SHANK HAVING A SECOND END THEREOF RESTRAINED FROM MOVEMENT, SAID TOOL COMPRISING A GUIDE MEMBER HAVING A GUIDE CHANNEL ADJACENT ONE EDGE THEREOF ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID ELONGATED HANGER SHANK, SAID GUIDE MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A CYLINDRICAL GUIDE HOLE THERETHROUGH AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID GUIDE CHANNEL, A STOP BLOCK FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID GUIDE MEMBER IN POSITION TO ENGAGE SAID HANGER SHANK WHEN SAID HANGER SHANK IS IN SAID GUIDE CHANNEL AND TO POSITION SAID CYLINDRICAL GUIDE HOLE A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM THE FREE END OF SAID ELONGATED HANGER SHANK; AND A DRIVER MEMBER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TOOL SHANK ADAPTED TO BE ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDE HOLE OF SAID GUIDE MEMBER AND HAVING A DRIVER HEAD FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID ELONGATED TOOL SHANK, SAID DRIVER HEAD HAVING A U-SHAPED RECEPTACLE, SAID RECEPTACLE BEING PARTIALLY DEFINED BY A FLAT OUTER CHORDAL WALL SURFACE SEPACED FROM SAID TOOL SHANK AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID ELONGATED TOOL SHANK AND BY AN INNER WALL SURFACE TANGENT TO SAID TOOL SHANK AND BY AN INNER WALL SURFACE TANGENT CHORDAL WALL, SAID INNER WALL TERMINATING ALONG THE TANGENT LINE BETWEEN IT AND SAID TOOL SHANK, SAID DRIVER HEAD HAVING A HELICAL CAM SURFACE EXTENDING FROM A LOW POINT OF SAID RECEPTACLE OF SAID DRIVER HEAD AND ALIGNED WITH SAID INNER WALL SURFACE OF SAID RECEPTACLE CONCENTRIC WITH SAID ELONGATED TOOL SHANK AND TERMINATING ALONG AN OUTER EDGE OF SAID INNER WALL OF SAID U-SHAPED RECEPTACLE, SAID RECEPTACLE OF SAID DRIVER MEMBER BEING ALIGNABLE WITH SAID GUIDE CHANNEL OF SAID GUIDE MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID ELONGATED HANGER SHANK WITH SAID DRIVER HEAD CONTIGUOUS TO SAID GUIDE MEMBER, SAID DRIVER HEAD BEING CONTIGUOUS TO SAID GUIDE MEMBER, SAID DRIVER HEAD BEING COIL AROUND SAID TOOL SHANK. 